Self-loading and unloading truck



N. F. ALVARE V SELF-LOADING AND UNLoADI-NG TRUCK May 23, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed May 19, 1948 \I c i NN NN ATTORNEYS.

May' 23, 1950 N. F. ALVARE SELF-LOADING AND UNLOADING TRUCK 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 19, 1948 ATTORNEYS.

May 23, 1950 N. ALvARE SELF-LOADING AND UNLOADING TRUCK 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 19, 1948 ATTORNEYS.

N. F, ALvARE SELF-LOADING ND UNLOADING TRUCK May 23, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 19, 1948 IN. VEN TOR.- NemeslaEZpal'e, @CL/L0 m BYy ` ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 23, 1950 unirsi)4 STATES PATENT OFFICE SELF-LOADING AND UNLOADING TRUCK Nemesio F. Alvare, Overbrook, Pa.

Application May 19, 1948, Serial No. 28,016

Claims. 1

This invention relates to trucks. More specifically it has to do with trucks intended to be used in handling and transporting sugar cane or the like from the elds in which it is grown, to places of disposal such for example as railway freight stations, boat landings, processing plants or reners, etc.

The chief aim oi my invention is to provide a truck with facilities whereby products of the kind referred to can be handled and transported quickly and expeditiously at minimum expense from the standpoint of labor costs and without attendant injury to or loss of the product.

How the foregoing and other important objects and advantages are realized in practice, will appear from the following detailed description of the attached drawings, wherein Fig. l is a View, in side elevation, of a self-loading and unloading truck conveniently embodying my invention.

Figs. 2 and 3 are cross sectional views taken as respectively indicated by the angled arrows II-II and III-III in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal section taken as indicated by the angled arrows IV-IV in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail view in elevation looking as indicated by the angled arrows V--V inKFig. 1.

Figs. 6 and 7 show the side elevation and top plan of a special or supplemental chassis frame` structure constituting a part of my improved truck; and

Figs. 8 and 9 are views likewise in side elevation and top plan of a skid also forming part of the truck.

With more detailed reference rst more particularly to Figs. 1-3 of these illustrations, it will be observed that the truck has a conventional chassis frame II with the usual channel section side longitudinals or sills I2, a drivers cab and engine hood I 4, a front axle I5 with steering, wheels I5, and powered rear traction wheels Il. The truck I0 is moreover equipped at the front thereof forward of the engine hood with a winch I8 which, with suitable interposed gearing connections (not shown), is arranged to be driven by channel section longitudinals 2I which are spaced to correspond with the chassis sills I2 and which are disposed at a slight rearward declination to the horizontal, being supported intermediate their ends by a pair of transverse I beams 22 and 23 which are bolted to said chassis sills. Adjacent their front ends, the auxiliary longitudinals 2I are supported from the chassis sills I2 by uprights 24 of structural steel, and adjacent their rear ends by similar uprights 25 which latter are secured to the rear transverse member I3 of the chassis frame. Lying crosswise of and secured to the chassis sills I2 adjacent the uprights 24 with the aid oi gusset plates 26, is an I beam 21 whereof the opposite ends extend to equal distances beyond said sills as do also the opposite ends of the rear beam I3 of the chassis frame I2. Midway between the beams I3 and 2'I is another transverse I bea-m 28 of corresponding length with its mid portion cut away as best seen in Fig. 2 to fit down over the chassis sills I2. Immediately outward of the auxiliary longitudinals 2| are aligned pairs of transverse axis rollers 30, SI and 32 with their trunnions journaled in bearings 33, 34, and 35 xedly supported on the outer end portions of the beams 2l, 28 and I3 respectively. Secured to the inner flange faces of the longitudinals 2l in the region of the connecting cross beams 23 are upstanding lug projections 3B with notches 36a in their rear edges which serve in a capacity later on explained.

Rigidly secured to the rear end of the chassis frame II according to my invention, is a bracket 3l which is built up of structural steel. As shown, this bracket supports at a level below the tops of the auxiliary longitudinals ZI and beyond the rear ends of the latter, a central transverse axis roller` 38 with a medial groove 38a, and a pair of symmetrically arranged laterally spaced vertical axis rollers 39. It is to be particularly noted that the centers of the rollers 39 are substantiallyin line with said auxiliary longitudinals and their peripheries substantially tangent to the planes of the outer sides of the longitudinals 2|. The trunnions of the rollers 38 are journaled in bearings 4Q at the ends of the channel section arms 4I extending outward from and rigidly secured to the crosswise beam I3 chassis frame I I and braced by angular strut elements 42 of the bracket 3l. The vertical axis rollers 39 on the other hand are freely rotatable about studs 43 upstanding from the struts 42.

' Secured to the outer sides of the chassis frame sills I2 immediately behind the cab I4 are I sec-r top and bottom by built up cross members 41 and 48 oi structural steel. Journalled in bearing lugs 49 upstanding from opposite ends of the cross member 41 is a transverse shaft 50 with hooks 5I secured thereto respectively adjacent the inner faces of said lugs, and with actuating handles 52 at its opposite ends. The purpose of this arrangement will also be later on explained. Freely rotative in bearings 55 centrally of the underside.- ofzithe. cross member 41 is a guide sheave Sfor a cable 51 which` is adapted to be wound upon the winch I8 at the front end of the truck I0. A similar guide sheave 58 is rotatively supported somewhat to one sideofI thcvflongitu.- dinal center of the truck in bearings 59 afxed to the frontal face of the crosswise connecting member 48. As shown in Fig.3the axes ofthe.

sheaves 56 and 58 are inclined somewhat to the horizontal by reason of the laterally offset disposal of the latter relative to the former and to prevent` skewingoi the-cable-'51 as it` passes between them; For thefur-then guidance. of the cable51 I provided, beneath the -front' axial I5 of thetruck- IB, a; flangedspool. like roller 60, see Fig; 5, whereotthe-trunnions4 are-journaled in a yokevGI' forming a part ofl a clamp 62. bolted to said-axle.

In: additionrto the parts thusrfar described, myimproved truckincludes a skid which is2compre hensivelydesignated-Biand separatelyiillustrated in Figspand.. Assshown skid" B5 has a. pair of parallel runners S6 of deep channel section steel arranged upright with their iianges extending outward and spaced; by a somewhatgreater distance" thamthe longitudinal 21 of the special framing 201 asbest seen-in Fig. 2; The runners 66 'offthe'skid' are-connected by suitably allocated transverse members 61, 68 and (S9-inthe formof Ifbeams ofV whichthe depth (height)is substantiallyihalf thatv of the runners and sodsposed vertically that theywill not interfere with the progress of theskid when-it is dragged over the ground during use of the s apparatus. The front endsof the-runners 66.=are-upwardly rounded as at loin Fig; 8 and connected by a tubular. tie bar-1I whichV may be welded'to said runners, and to which endY the leading transverse-,member 61 is' secured'inra similar manner at"the bottom, a plate 12 with a notchV 12a in its rear edgeV for connection of the-free endof the winchcable51. Laid crosswise* over: the runners: 6B- from 1a, point somewhat rearward-:of: the leading cross-member 61 and extending Ato equal distancesbeyond them 'are Y `platform flooring fplanks- `'I3 which may be offwood and secured by bolts as shown. Similarly secured to the planks 13 -respectively at the center and at the ends are-lengthwise strips 14 and15of metal, the latter having sockets IBon the-plank centers inw'hich upright stakes 11. of tubular-'cross section are permanently anchored. It is toY be particularly noted 'from Fig. 9 that the sill strips I5'are cur-ved toward each other somewhat at tliefoppositeA ends-as at 15a, and at the endmost stakes 11 inwardly oftsetvrelative to Athe others' by corresponding distances. For greater stability, the-stakes 11 are connected at anintermediatelevel bystringers .18;

Operation In theausefof the truck, theskidfis loaded in theiield where:A the sugar. cane is grown. The rlpened caneiis cut tosuitablei lengths and passed by Vthexreaper. toi a, helperpositioned at the skid. 'As .the helper receives-:thercane he forms it into piles such as shown at P in Fig. 1 over prelaid ropes or bands B. After each pile is completed, the ends of the corresponding rope or band B are brought over the top of the pile and tied together, the skid herein shown by way of illustration having a capacity for three bundles of cane so formed. After the skid is loaded in the manner explained, the truck lil is backed into position relative thereto, whereupon the winch cable 51 which, as shown in Fig. 1 is confined to the center groove 38a in the horizontal axis roller 38 at the rear of the truck chassis II, is connected to the iront end of the skid by bringing it under thebar II and engaging it in the notch 12a of the plate 12. The knot or head enlargementiindicated at 51a in Fig. 1 prevents the cable 51 from reeving through the notch of plate 12 when it is subsequently placed in tension as will be readily understood. The winch I8 is thereupon operated by power to Wind in the cable 51 which latter is held to the longitudinal center ofthe truck between the roller 38 and the sheave. 56, and which by reason of the length of the spoollike roller 643 suspended from the iront axle I5 ofthe drop is allowed to distribute itself properlyon said winch, By the pull of the cable5f1, the loaded skid is first dragged over the ground until it reaches approximately the position in which it is shown in broken lines in Fig. 1, whereupon it will be lifted at the front, and the curved ends- 10 of the runners B5 brought over the first pair of side rollers 32 on the truck chassis, the cane bundles being restrained against shiftingior falling out of the skid at this time bythe constraining effect of the inwardly offset endmost stakes; As the winding of the cable 51 continues, the skid will be drawn onto the truck and when itsgcenter gravity passes beyond the rollers 32,.it will drop from an angular position until its skids restv fully upon the remaining side rollers 3| and 39. Eventually the rod 1l at the front end of the skid, in under-travelling the beveled ends of the hooks 5I will automatically lift the latter which, upon passage of said rod will drop over it and so hold the skid against endwise shifting on the truck during subsequent transit. As the skid is pulled into place on the truck as just 4explained the lower anges of the transverse I beam B81 of the, skid will automatically engage within theznotches 36a of the lugs 35 en the longitudinale 2-I lof the special framing 2D and so operate thereafter to hold the skid down upon the truck chassis. Moreover as the skid is drawn upon the truck it will be centered automatically by *coaction of the vertical axis rollers 39 at the rear end of the truck chassis 2- with the inner faces of theskid runners 86 which latter are partly shown in dot and dash lines in Fig. 7. When in place on the truck, the skid will be prevented from shifting laterally during transit through interceptionof the runners GS by the longitudinals 2l othespecialframelil in a manner readily understood inFig. 2. At the place of delivery, which maybe the freight receiving platform of a railway or a boat landing, the bundles are withdrawn upwardly out of the skid without removal of the latter from the truck, by attaching the hook of a lifting crane -to the ropes by which the cane stalks are-bound into said bundles. After being unloaded, the truck is returned to the caneeld and upon its arrivalA there, the shaft 58 is turned byv means of one of its handles 52 to liftthchooks 5I out .of engagement with front bar 1I of the skid. .The winch I8 is thereupon reverse operated to .control the skid as it rolls rearward by gravity from oli the truck and finally rests upon the ground.

In practice two skids are preferably provided for use with the truck. This is of advantage in that one skid can be loaded while the other is in transit, thereby making possible the continued employment of the truck and avoiding loss of valuable time on the part of the truck driver.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A self-loading and unloading truck having a chassis frame with parallel longitudinals, crosswise aligned pairs of transverse axis rollers extending outwardly from the chassis longitudinals respectively with their tops below the top planel of said longitudinals; a skid having parallel runners spaced for support on said rollers; a cable releasably connectable to the front end of the skid; a winch on the truck for winding the cable to draw the skid into the truck; and a pair of vertical axis rollers at the rear end of the truck below the tops of the chassis longitudinals with their outer sides substantially tangent to the outer sides of said longitudinals, adapted to be engaged by the insides of the skid runners to center the skid as it is drawn onto the truck by the cable.

2. A self-loading and unloading truck having a chassis frame with parallel lcngitudinals; crosswise aligned pairs of transverse axis rollers extending laterally in opposite directions from the chassis longitudinals with their tops below the top plane of said longitudinale; a skid with parallel runners spaced for support upon said rollers, platform iiooring overlaid upon and secured to the runners, and transverse beams connecting the runners at intervals below the liooring; and lug projections with notches in their rear edges extending upward from the chassis longitudinals to engage one of the transverse beams of the skid to hold the latter against rising after it is drawn to final position on the truck.

3. A self-loading and unloading truck having a chassis frame with parallel longitudinals; crosswise aligned pairs of transverse axis rollers extending laterally in opposite directions from the chassis longitudinals with their tops below the plane of said longitudinals; a skid With parallel runners spaced for support upon said rollers, and having platform flooring overlaid upon them, said runners extending forwardly beyond the ooring and being there connected by a crosswise tie bar; and pivoted hooks on the truck adapted to swing downward to engage behind the tie bar of the skid as the latter is drawn into final position on the truck and to thereafter hold the skid against displacement on the chassis frame.

4. A self-loading and unloading truck having a chassis frame, an engine hood and drivers cab at the forward end of the chassis, powered rear Wheels, and a front axle with steering wheels; a winch at the front end of the truck beyond the engine hood; a skid adapted to be drawn onto the truck by a cable Wound on the Winch; a circumferentially grooved horizontal axis roller at the rear end of the truck over which the cable is passed for connection to the front of the skid; and a system of guide sheaves for directing the cable downward from the Winch under` the front axle and beneath the cab to a point immediately to the back of the latter, and finally longitudinally of the truck chassis to the grooved roller at the rear of the truck.

5. A self-loading and unloading truck for sugar cane or the like, having a chassis frame with parallel longitudinals, and crosswise aligned pairs of transverse axis rollers extending laterally in opposite directions from the chassis longitudinals with their tops below the top plane of said longitudinals; a winding winch on the truck for a draw cable; and a skid having parallel runners spaced for support upon said rollers, ooring on the runners, and a row of stakes upstanding from the runners at each side with the innermost stakes set inward somewhat beyond the others so as to prevent bound bundles of the cane arranged lengthwise of the skid from sliding out of the ends of the skid as it is drawn onto the truck by the cable.

NEMESIO F. ALVARE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,250,505 Reasoner Dec. 18, 1917 1,870,573 Kuchar Aug. 9, 1932 1,885,399 Wren Nov. l, 1932 2,188,374 Sanchez Jan. 30, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 160,437 Great Britain Nov. 18, 1921 

